How Should a Bra Fit? The Ultimate Sizing Guide

Did you know that around 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size? Many women don't even realize that they're wearing the wrong bra size because they've already set their minds on one particular size. However, there are actually many downsides to wearing the wrong sized bra and many benefits of wearing the right kind of bra for your body.

But how should a bra fit in the first place? How can you tell if your bras really fit you or not? More than that, how can you find the perfect bra size for you?

Keep reading and learn more about bra fit, bra sizes, and more.

Why Wearing the Wrong Sized Bra Is a Bad Idea

If you are wearing a bra that doesn't fit you well, you will experience all sorts of downsides. The first downside is the most obvious and has to do with bra comfort. If you're wearing the wrong bra for your body, you might actually end up with breast pain.

For example, suppose that your bra is too small for your breasts. Even though you can still put on this bra and wear it throughout the day, you might find that the small cups squeeze your breasts and cause them to hurt. This, of course, is not ideal since bras are meant to be comfortable and supportive.

On the other hand, if your bra is too big, you will find that your breasts might start to wiggle around in the cups. This, also, is not ideal because it will look a bit strange as you walk around or go up or down a flight of stairs. This is especially not a problem you want to have if you are active and like to go jogging or hiking.

More than that, if your breasts jump around too much in your bra, this could actually cause breast tenderness. If you have sensitive skin, you might even develop a rash in the areas in which your bra rubs against your skin.

What You Need to Know

Back pain is another issue you might experience when wearing the wrong bra. As mentioned before, bras are meant to be supportive. This is especially true for women who have larger busts.

If you don't have a bra to support your breasts, the weight of your breasts will start to pull on your back muscles which will ultimately contribute to back pain. Your bra might also start to dig into your ribs or shoulders if it doesn't fit you well and it might cause chafing as a result.

Finally, a bra that doesn't fit you well won't look good under your clothes. Your breasts might look strangely squashed under your shirt, or they might bulge out in a strange way. Whatever the case, wearing a bra that doesn't fit you well is never an ideal scenario.

But how can you tell if your bra fits you or not and how should a bra fit in the first place?

How Should the Cups of a Bra Fit?

The cups, of course, are the foundation of any bra. Finding the right cup size for you can be difficult, especially if you don't know what to look for. How much (or little) should your breasts fill the cups?

The last thing you want is for your breasts to spill over the top of the cups. This is not a flattering look, especially not under a shirt or blouse. Instead, it will make it look as if you have some kind of strange quad-boob situation going on.

On the other hand, you won't want your breasts to be too small for the cups. Otherwise, there will be a large gap between your breasts and the cup size. This will make the cup look like a shelf under your shirt and it certainly won't do much to improve your silhouette.

Ideally, when it comes to buying a bra, you will want to find one with cups that follow the natural curve of your breasts. If you find a bra that fits, for the most part, but you see that there is a small gap between your breasts and the bra, try tightening the shoulder straps.

This should fix the problem if you have the right cup size. If this doesn't work, you may need to find another cup size.

The Details

If you find that your breasts are threatening to spill over your bra, adjusting the shoulder straps won't do much.

Instead, you will need to find a larger cup size. If you tend to have this spillage problem, a full-coverage bra may be the solution for you. A bra of this type covers more of your chest than an average bra.

This will make it easier for your breasts to fit into the bra. More than that, this bra will give you a much smoother and sleeker line under clothing. But what if you have spillage on the side of the bra rather than on the top?

In this case, the problem is still the fact that the bra's cups are too small. To fix the problem, go up a cup size.

How Should the Shoulder Straps Fit?

The cups aren't the only important part of your bra. The shoulder straps are also very significant because they are responsible for holding up the weight of your breasts. The first thing that you should know is that your shoulder straps should not dig into your shoulders.

If your shoulder straps do this, they will eventually chafe and might even cause a rash on your shoulders. You might think this is a normal side effect of having heavy breasts, but it shouldn't be. A good bra will never have straps that dig into your shoulders or leave indentations.

This is because a good bra will not only use the shoulder straps to support your weight but also the band and the cups. If you find that you are having this problem, you should find a bra with a smaller band size. This will make it so the weight of your breasts will be distributed to the band instead of the shoulder straps.

As a result, the bra will be much more comfortable and it will fit better. But what if you have the opposite problem? If you find that you have to keep readjusting your straps because they keep falling off of your shoulders, you're not wearing the right bra size.

Finding the Right Kind of Straps

Try tightening the straps on your bra. If your bra straps are already as tight as they can go, the elastic in the bands may have worn out. This means that you'll have to buy a new bra with straps that fit you better.

Fortunately, there are plenty of bras with plenty of strap variations, so you shouldn't have any trouble fixing this problem. There are even some bras that come with extra soft or cushioned straps so that your shoulders remain comfortable throughout the day.

Narrow-set straps are especially useful because they have a tendency to grip your shoulders in a comfortable way so you won't ever have to deal with readjusting your straps ever again. T-shirt bras tend to have these kinds of straps, but you will surely be able to find other bras that have them as well.

Some bras may even have straps that come in different styles. Some of these styles are more decorative than functional, but some can actually make a world of difference when it comes to the way your bra fits. Of course, there are also strapless bras where you won't have to worry about straps at all, but you'll have to be careful when selecting these bras because they tend to roll down if they don't fit perfectly.

How Should Your Bra Band Fit?

As mentioned before, the band is the part of the bra, along with the straps, that supports your breasts. If your band doesn't fit right, your straps will take the brunt of the weight and that is not what you want if you want a comfortable bra that fits well. More than that, if your band doesn't fit you well, the entire bra can end up uncomfortable even if you're wearing the right bra size.

For example, if the band is loose, you might find that the straps and cups keep shifting around as you move. As a result, you'll have to keep adjusting your bra, which isn't the most attractive look, especially in public. On the other hand, if your band is too tight, you'll know it because the band will squeeze you in an uncomfortable way.

If your bra band does this, you'll find that you'll also end up with some spillage if you have any extra fat on your ribs or back. Of course, these extra bulges won't look great under clothing, especially tight clothing. You'll be able to tell if your band is too loose because it will start slowly climbing up your torso.

You might be able to fix this problem by tightening the band with the hook and eye closure. However, if you are already on the tightest setting, the elastic in the band may already be so stretched out that it can't get any tighter. As a result, you'll have to get a new bra.

But what if a new bra is already causing you this problem? If this is the case, the bra you bought had a band size that was too large. Try to exchange that bra and get another bra with a smaller band size.

Band Size Problems

When you get a new bra, you'll always want to wear it on the loosest setting with the hook and eye closure. This is because this will prevent the bra from stretching out prematurely. As the bra stretches out on its own over time, you will be able to use the higher settings on the hook and eye closure.

That way, you will be able to enjoy your bra for as long as possible. But what if you find that the underwire of your bra is trying to sit on your breasts? This is a more uncommon problem, but it can certainly happen if the band size for your bra doesn't fit well enough.

This is also a particularly annoying problem for a variety of reasons. First, it is very uncomfortable because the underwire will start to dig into your breasts instead of sitting under your breasts where it belongs. Secondly, this problem will look very strange under clothing.

The firm nature of the underwire will easily show through most clothes unless you're wearing a shirt or sweater made of very thick fabric. To fix this problem, try tightening the band on your bra. If there's no more room to tighten it, try buying a bra with a smaller band size.

When trying on a new bra, you'll want to make sure that the band is snug. Keep in mind that it should not be overly tight. However, ensuring that the band is snug will make it so that it will fit you for many years in the future without any problems.